Stay Awhile
by prettylittlewriter16
Summary: Batcat Semi-AU: A small part of him knew he’d see her tonight — he was graduating tomorrow, after all. But, as always, he never knew what to expect with Selina.


**A/N: Bruce is 18, Selina is 19.**

The silver moonlight streams through the glass windows of Wayne Manor as Bruce polishes off the last of his champagne and leans back on the leather couch.

The champagne was a gift from some long-forgotten family friend, who probably only sent him the bottles so they could retain the honor of calling themselves "friends of the Wayne boy". Not that Bruce minds; any social transactions that end in champagne are fine by him.

Tomorrow afternoon was his high school graduation. Even though he'd been homeschooled for years, Alfred insisted that his last year should be spent among kids his age, and Bruce reluctantly obliged. All his peers had been talking in excited whispers for weeks about the approaching coming-of-age ritual they perceived graduation to be while Bruce couldn't muster up a sliver of excitement.

His friends would walk up to a podium, receive a diploma, hug their parents, and finally think of themselves as capable of being independent adults. Alfred kept reminding him that getting that diploma would be a gratifying end to his teenage years, but Bruce would merely reply that he'd never truly had a chance at typical teenage years. He'd had to grow up much faster than most.

But Alfred took pride in his academic accomplishments, so Bruce swallowed his distaste and agreed to attend. He was valedictorian, after all.

Bruce's thoughts are interrupted by the glimpse of a shadowy figure in the window. His first reaction is to reach for the dagger in his pocket, but Bruce quickly relaxes after analyzing the familiar silhouette.

The high-heeled leather boot of Selina Kyle steps out in front of the billowing curtains, and she promptly crosses her arms and perks an eyebrow at the multitude of luxurious graduation presents on his floor.

"You've been gone a while," Bruce comments, his gaze following her every step.

Selina doesn't answer, but instead runs her index finger along the mantle of the fireplace.

"Alfred's gotten lazy." She says, inspecting the dust on her fingertip.

"He was visiting a friend. He'll be back tomorrow morning."

"For your graduation?" Selina yawns and drops onto the couch across from him.

Bruce nods.

"Is this a quick visit or a weeklong arrangement?"

"No need to grill me, kid. I was in the neighborhood and the Wayne castle was the nearest place capable of curing my boredom."

Selina's hair has gotten longer since he last saw her. He lets his eyes linger for a moment on the shiny curls splayed across her shoulders before meeting her gaze again.

"You just happened to drop in the night before my graduation?" Bruce lets out a quiet chuckle. He knew she'd never admit her visits had stopped being just about raiding his pantry — she stopped by now and then to check on him. But Selina would be caught dead before she'd admit that she cared about how he was doing.

Selina pauses, pondering his question, then inhales deeply before replying:

"I dropped in to say goodbye. I think."

Bruce's eyebrows furrow as he processes her words.

"What? Why?" He leans forward abruptly.

"I'm going somewhere for awhile."

"Where?"

"Somewhere far away from here. Florida, Canada, or Europe would suffice."

"Did something happen?"

"You ask so many questions, Bruce."

"I'm a curious person. Especially when it comes to the girl who always has a secret up her sleeve."

Selina lets out a long sigh.

"Nothing happened. I just need a break, you know? A little getaway. Gotham can be pretty damn suffocating."

"I know, that's why Alfred used to drag me to Switzerland every time something remotely stressful happened."

"Oh, poor baby. You got sick of your mansion and took a break from it in your chalet." Selina's hand presses against her heart as she wipes away an imaginary tear.

Bruce smirks.

"I forgot how charming you were, Sel."

His gaze pierces into her, and he notices her falter at the mention of that particular old, rarely-used nickname.

"You know, I'm getting some serious déjà-vu here," Bruce continues, leaning forward in his seat and locking eyes with the curly-haired, stone-faced girl across from him. "You showing up on an important night of my life and saying it's just a coincidence."

He stands and makes his way over to the couch she's on, slowly sits down, and leans forward, never breaking eye contact.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you still have a thing for me." Bruce cocks his head to the side, a smile starting to tug at his lips. He'd definitely gotten more confident since they'd last spoken, and he wasn't afraid to show it.

"Don't flatter yourself, bud." Selina tries for her usual unbothered attitude (which most likely would have worked on anyone besides Bruce), but he senses the underlying waver in her voice, and his smile only grows.

"So, you're not into me anymore?" He moves even closer — the firelight illuminating the flecks of gold in her eyes. "Not at all?"

Selina leans forward, eyes blazing, her face now merely inches away.

She answers his question by slowly and deliberately emphasizing each word:

"Not."

Bruce inhales sharply. She smells like jasmine.

"One."

His eyes dart from her eyes to her lips. Had they always looked so soft?

"Bit."

Some small part of Bruce's brain reminds him to breathe, but he ignores it.

With the last word, Selina softly kisses the corner of Bruce's mouth, then pulls away slightly so her face is an inch from his.

"Got it?" She asks.

"Got it." Bruce answers, breathlessly.

For a moment, the world seems to stand utterly and totally still.

And then, Selina's lips press against Bruce's, and everything comes crashing back into focus.

Bruce returns her kiss in equal force, his lips parting to welcome hers. She tastes like cherries.

Selina swings her leg over to straddle him on the couch; his fingers entangle themselves in her hair and her arms wrap around his neck as their kiss deepens, becoming more passionate by the second. Bruce throws her jacket to the ground, then grips her waist and rises to meet her lips once more.

A million thoughts run through his mind, but he can only focus on one thing:

He's kissing Selina Kyle. The girl who confuses and frustrates him to no end; the girl who makes him feel so intensely that it scares him; the girl who he would do anything for — who he trusts with his life.

Selina's hands tug at his shirt, pulling it over his head, and her mouth moves to kiss his collarbone as Bruce leans his head back and closes his eyes, feelings of pure bliss surging through his veins. With his hand, Bruce tips her head back up to kiss her again, slower and deeper still. Her hair falls around them in a curtain, enveloping Bruce and Selina in a world that's just them, just two people who've spent years finding their way back to each other. Bruce spreads his hand across her back and slowly leans her down until she's laying on the couch, his arms keeping him above her.

They pull away for a moment to breathe — to enjoy this moment. Selina flashes him a rare, pure smile, one that Bruce doesn't see often. Everything is overwhelming him all at once.

"I love you." Bruce tries to stop the words from pouring out of him, but her scent and the feel of her lips has left him mesmerized.

His heart stops.

Oh god, he actually said it.

His mind starts racing: Why did he say that? He knows she'd catapult herself out of his window if it meant avoiding a situation where she had to confront her feelings, or his, for that matter. Every time in the past he'd tried to tell her how he felt, she'd freak out and now he's said the one thing she can't brush off, the one thing —

"I love you too."

Bruce releases a breath he didn't realize he was holding and shakes his head in confusion. His mouth opens, trying to form words, but the look in her eyes keeps him silent.

"Wait, seriously?" Bruce tries to mask the absolute bewilderment in his voice, but fails miserably.

Selina rolls her eyes and pulls him down by his neck for a slow kiss.

"Yes, seriously." She smiles, arms wrapping around his neck, and Bruce can't help but smile in return.

"Now shut up and kiss me before I change my mind."


End file.
